CHAPTER EIGHT
*
Jaken's green, beaky face stood out in the mist. He began jumping up and down, grabbing at the staff Kagome held just above his head. "What? What did you say?" he squawked.
"I want to see Sesshoumaru," Kagome repeated, lifting the staff even higher.
Jaken stopped hopping and just glared at her. His buggy yellow eyes got even buggier with outrage. "You're mad! There is no way that I shall bring a lowly human into milord's presence. Never shall I betray him that way! Especially not to one such as you, who were with Inuyasha."
"I don't think you have much choice," Kagome said, leaning forward. "You're helpless without your staff, huh? And you have to go back to Sesshoumaru sooner or later. Either you take me to him, or we'll just sit here forever. And I won't hand over this staff till you take me."
Jaken made noises that indicated either distress or digestive problems. "Curse you, stupid human!" he finally said.
"Curse YOU, stupid toad!" Kagome retorted. Inwardly, she groaned. I'm getting as bad at this as Inuyasha, she thought.
Jaken struggled with the idea for a few more minutes, scratching his head, then grudgingly held out one small claw. "Fine. I'll take you if you give back the staff. But milord will blast you to bits if you bother him -- especially since that fleabitten mongrel Inuyasha is dead-"
He squealed as the staff slammed him to the ground and held him there. "Don't you DARE call him a mongrel!" Kagome snapped.
"I won't again," Jaken said, as loudly as he could with his face pressed into the dirt. He scrambled up, wiped off his face, and snatched at the staff. "I'll be taking that right now."
"Oh no you don't," Kagome said, holding it over her head. "I've seen what you do with this thing. If I give it to you now, you'll either ditch me or roast me alive, and I'm not gonna take a chance on that until I've had a chance to speak with Sesshoumaru. When I see him, I'll give you back the staff. Not before!"
Jaken glared at her again. But then he looked at the staff, and turned away. "Follow me," he grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "And don't be slow, mind. And never tell anyone the way in!"
"I won't," Kagome promised.
It wasn't hard to keep up with Jaken. His legs didn't even come up to her knees, and he ran in a wobbly trippy way that reminded her of Shippo, especially since he didn't have his staff. He ducked around gnarled trees and up onto a rock ledge, making a weird mumbling noise as he went.
How can Sesshoumaru stand this little creep all the time? Kagome thought.
"I can't open the portal without the staff!" Jaken announced, crossing his spindly arms. "Give it to me now, or you won't see Lord Sesshoumaru."
Kagome glanced over the rock face, but couldn't see any sign of a door. It looked perfectly smooth, like a gray wall. "Okay," she said, reluctantly handing over the staff. Jaken grabbed it away and tapped it on the rock ledge. "Open to me!" he shrilled, as the eyes on the staff lit up.
Kagome stepped back. The rock seemed to melt into shadows and mist, and a gust of wind blew out from inside. "Is that it?" she asked. "Is that the way inside?"
"Of course it is," Jaken said crabbily. He hopped into the doorway and vanished into the darkness. Kagome followed him quickly, afraid that he was going to seal it. As the rock swirled back into place behind her, she gasped.
"I'll let you out -- assuming that milord lets you go in one piece," Jaken said darkly.
"Shut up," Kagome said, following the tiny figure through the corridor. She could barely see anything except a little blur of movement. He led her onto a wide, winding staircase, and past a carved window that overlooked the valley. The sight of the morning sun spilling over the treetops took Kagome's breath away. She wanted to see it for a moment longer, but Jaken was still tripping up the stairs.
Finally they came to a doorway covered by a painted screen. Kagome swallowed hard as Jaken pushed it open. Here goes nothing, she thought.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Jaken's green, beaky face stood out in the mist. He began jumping up and down, grabbing at the staff Kagome held just above his head. "What? What did you say?" he squawked.
"I want to see Sesshoumaru," Kagome repeated, lifting the staff even higher.
Jaken stopped hopping and just glared at her. His buggy yellow eyes got even buggier with outrage. "You're mad! There is no way that I shall bring a lowly human into milord's presence. Never shall I betray him that way! Especially not to one such as you, who were with Inuyasha."
"I don't think you have much choice," Kagome said, leaning forward. "You're helpless without your staff, huh? And you have to go back to Sesshoumaru sooner or later. Either you take me to him, or we'll just sit here forever. And I won't hand over this staff till you take me."
Jaken made noises that indicated either distress or digestive problems. "Curse you, stupid human!" he finally said.
"Curse YOU, stupid toad!" Kagome retorted. Inwardly, she groaned. I'm getting as bad at this as Inuyasha, she thought.
Jaken struggled with the idea for a few more minutes, scratching his head, then grudgingly held out one small claw. "Fine. I'll take you if you give back the staff. But milord will blast you to bits if you bother him -- especially since that fleabitten mongrel Inuyasha is dead-"
He squealed as the staff slammed him to the ground and held him there. "Don't you DARE call him a mongrel!" Kagome snapped.
"I won't again," Jaken said, as loudly as he could with his face pressed into the dirt. He scrambled up, wiped off his face, and snatched at the staff. "I'll be taking that right now."
"Oh no you don't," Kagome said, holding it over her head. "I've seen what you do with this thing. If I give it to you now, you'll either ditch me or roast me alive, and I'm not gonna take a chance on that until I've had a chance to speak with Sesshoumaru. When I see him, I'll give you back the staff. Not before!"
Jaken glared at her again. But then he looked at the staff, and turned away. "Follow me," he grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "And don't be slow, mind. And never tell anyone the way in!"
"I won't," Kagome promised.
It wasn't hard to keep up with Jaken. His legs didn't even come up to her knees, and he ran in a wobbly trippy way that reminded her of Shippo, especially since he didn't have his staff. He ducked around gnarled trees and up onto a rock ledge, making a weird mumbling noise as he went.
How can Sesshoumaru stand this little creep all the time? Kagome thought.
"I can't open the portal without the staff!" Jaken announced, crossing his spindly arms. "Give it to me now, or you won't see Lord Sesshoumaru."
Kagome glanced over the rock face, but couldn't see any sign of a door. It looked perfectly smooth, like a gray wall. "Okay," she said, reluctantly handing over the staff. Jaken grabbed it away and tapped it on the rock ledge. "Open to me!" he shrilled, as the eyes on the staff lit up.
Kagome stepped back. The rock seemed to melt into shadows and mist, and a gust of wind blew out from inside. "Is that it?" she asked. "Is that the way inside?"
"Of course it is," Jaken said crabbily. He hopped into the doorway and vanished into the darkness. Kagome followed him quickly, afraid that he was going to seal it. As the rock swirled back into place behind her, she gasped.
"I'll let you out -- assuming that milord lets you go in one piece," Jaken said darkly.
"Shut up," Kagome said, following the tiny figure through the corridor. She could barely see anything except a little blur of movement. He led her onto a wide, winding staircase, and past a carved window that overlooked the valley. The sight of the morning sun spilling over the treetops took Kagome's breath away. She wanted to see it for a moment longer, but Jaken was still tripping up the stairs.
Finally they came to a doorway covered by a painted screen. Kagome swallowed hard as Jaken pushed it open. Here goes nothing, she thought.
TO BE CONTINUED